Associated Press
Although opposition has surfaced regarding the plan to build a nuclear power plant in the Central Valley, several counties are in favor of it.
Last month, the Madera County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of the plan to build a nuclear plant. Fresno County made this same decision in January.
John Hutson, CEO of The Fresno Nuclear Energy Group, is now reaching out to other counties such as Kings, Tulare and Merced to try and gain support.
Despite the tragic events that took place in Japan, Hutson feels that a nuclear plant in the Central Valley would be safe for the community.
“This is biggest lessons-learned industry in the world,” Hutson said. “We’ve learned not to operate plants as old as the one in Japan; don’t put supplies right next to your reactor, all kinds of things. We think it’s close to being under control, but we can’t afford one mistake ”” not one.”
Because of the devastating events that took place in Japan, many people are far from anxious to have a nuclear plant built here in the Central Valley.
“I’m against it,” graphic design major Guadalupe Jimenez said. “I mean, regardless of the technology or anything like that, the Valley is one of the biggest vegetation areas. Having a nuclear plant here seems like a very dangerous thing to do considering we send fruit and stuff all over the country. The area we are in is not suited for a nuclear plant.”
With jobs hard to come by, the installation of a nuclear plant in Fresno would provide hundreds of jobs for local residents.
“Immediately, it would put out about 5,000 construction workers for four years, and those construction workers make a good chunk of change,” Hutson said.
While Hutson believes that one reason for the nuclear disaster in Japan was the lack of new technology, many people are still uncertain whether a nuclear plant in the Central Valley would be any different.
A study conducted by The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that, “Overall, about a quarter of Americans (24 percent) think that nuclear power plants in the United States are designed to be safer than those in Japan.”
While some county leaders are in support of a nuclear plant, and believe that they are safer than the ones in Japan, many Valley residents are not convinced.
The nuclear disaster in Japan has caused Valley residents to rush out and buy potassium iodide in hopes of preventing radiation exposure. It has also helped them reconsider a nuclear plant in their hometown.
The Pew found that 53 percent of people are opposed to nuclear plants, while 39 percent are in favor.
Elizabeth Jonasson, campaign and outreach associate for the Fresno Coalition for Clean Air said that they are not in support of the nuclear plant.
“It’s still nuclear waste, it’s still toxic and it’s still very harmful,” Jonasson said. “There’s a lot of environmental concerns.”
Whether or not the Central Valley will ever see a nuclear plant is unknown. What is known, however, is the fact that changes will need to be made for more people to show their support.
“We can draw conclusions that it’s not safe,” Jonasson said. “California has a lot of faults, so we need to ask if we should really be putting a nuclear plant here in the Central Valley.”
